Meet the everyday heroes who help stricken homeowners

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Berensteen Offord has just had a stroke. She is 86, and is a homeowner. Her family applied to Rebuilding Together Seattle, a nonprofit group which restores houses and will do all those homeowner-type jobs that Berensteen can’t. Volunteers and professionals swarmed the Offord place on Saturday, gardening; repairing electrical, plumbing, and drainage systems; installing new rugs; cleaning the yard; and even fixing the back stairs. Saturday’s work on 10 different houses in Seattle pushes the groups’ total to 1,000 houses restored since 1989. -- Stephen Ramaley